Crawley

Crawley's population grew in the decade leading up to the most recent census. At the same time there were changes in religion, ethnicity and marriage.

The population passed 100,000

In the decade leading up to the most recent census, the population of Crawley increased by 6.9%, from about 99,700 to 107,000.

The addition of almost 6,900 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Crawley was home to, on average, 17 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Rise in rate of unemployment

Census 2011 data also show a change in the employment status of many here.

The percentage of Crawley residents that were unemployed increased from 2.3% in 2001 to 4.5% in 2011.

In 2011, just over 6 in 10 (62%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 63% in 2001. The percentage of Crawley residents that were self-employed increased from 6.3% to 7.8%.

The proportion of unemployed people increased faster here than in any other local authority district across the South East. The improvement brought health in Crawley close to the national average 4.4% in England described their health as good in 2011).

The rate of unemployment in Crawley increased by 2.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Crawley, the South East and England that said they were unemployed, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Crawley

The number of people in Crawley that described themselves as having no religion increased from just under 17,000 in 2001 to just under 28,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 17% to 26% of the local population.

The percentage increased by less than the average across the South East (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Crawley that described themselves as Christian decreased from just over 67,000 in 2001 to just under 58,000 in 2011 (from 67% to 54%). The number of people who described themselves as Muslim increased from just over 4,400 to just under 7,700 (from 4.4% to 7.2%).

About 6,800 people (6.9%) did not state their religion, similar to the amount in 2001 (which at the time represented 6.4%)

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Crawley increased by 9.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Crawley by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Crawley

The number of people in Crawley from the White ethnic groups increased from about 88,000 in 2001 to about 85,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 89% to 80% of the local population.

The percentage decreased by more than the average across the South East (from 95% to 91%) and the average across England (from 91% to 85%).

The number of people in Crawley from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from just over 8,600 in 2001 to about 14,000 in 2011 (from 8.6% to 13%). The number of residents from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from about 1,100 to about 3,500 (from 1.1% to 3.3%).

Just under 3,100 people (1.4%) said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), up from just under 1,400 in 2001 (2.9%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the White ethnic groups in Crawley decreased by 8.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Crawley by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer married people

The percentage of married people fell in Crawley at a faster rate than in nearby Reigate and Banstead.

In Crawley, the proportion of married people decreased from 52% in 2001 to 47% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Reigate and Banstead decreased from 54% to 52%.

Across the South East, the share of married people decreased from 53% to 49%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership in Crawley increased from 30% to 35%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 11% to 12%.

The proportion of married people was lower than across the South East

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that that said they were married across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Crawley working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 12% to 8.6% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.6%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 1.7% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 14% in 2001 to 11% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Crawley decreased by 3.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Crawley, the South East and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

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